Adjustable hand-stop for firearms



April 26, 1960 R. J. M FEETER 2,933,343

ADJUSTABLE HAND-STOP FOR FIREARMS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 4, 1957 [I l Cy v April 1960 R. J. MCFEIETER 2,933,843

ADJUSTABLE HAND-STOP FOR FIREARMS I Filed Nov. 4. 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 My invention relates to firearms and :more particularly to an adjustable handestop ffor rifieetype firearms.

Contemporary handtstops, 101' lhand =abutments, are

either fix'ed adjacent the forward aend ;of the firearm,

or are adjustablesfixed longituclinally of the elongated barrel of the rifle. "In the use of firearms :employing such a -hand-stop, .th'e imar k-smans :hand, which is used to support the forward endaof thefirearm, normally abuts the hand-stopealongttheiside of theaindex-fingeradjacent 'the knuckle thereof. :Ittis'rcustomary:forthe marksman to press forward withrthis hand, particularly-whena slingstrap is used. Theiresultant pressure on theyha-nd is discomfortable'and painful.

Marksmen sometimes attempttto alleviate such pain by turning their Phand about the :rifle @forestock, to an unnatural position wherein :the marksmarrs :hand abuts =1the hand-stop at the :webvbetween "the fthumb and ,fore- 'finger. This, however, :creates a #strain on "the "-wrist :and

results in thehand being out of alignment withathezmarks- 'man s forearm.

The 'above referred ito discomforts :are eliminated with thehand-stop'ofmiy invention, .whiehiis adjustable transversely of the rifle :and :may, :therefore, the positioned to provide a comfortable erest 'sforithe :marksmans hand.

'The marksman :is :thereby able rto :grasp the :-rifle in :a natural manner, :without {straining the wrist, and without the discomfort of "pressure "on the forefinger joint.

' Obviously, the accuracy with which the :marksman is capable er p'erformingf is :greatly enhanced :when therifle -is grasped ini-a natural, fcomfortable:posit-ion.

'An object oftthisinvention iszthe provision of :a: firearm having athandstop'which :elim'inatesctheiiiscomforts 'mentionedfiabove An objectsof this invention is a'the provision of :a firearm hand-stopiwhi'ch iisaadjustablerftransversely of :the forestock of an elongated barrel type firearm torarposition to :provide in comfortable, rest for the tmarksmanis hand.

fAnvobject of this invention :is :the a provision" of an :a'd-

" justable shan'd-stop, or *rabutment, -the :position :of :which :may be adjusted ".transversely of v the J'fOIBSlOCk of an elongatedi barrel. type firearm toeadaptttherfirearm" to the 'tusers physioalreharacteristics.

"An object: offthis?inventioniis:thevprovisiomof1a pivot- .allyamountedfhan'd stopt'fori an:elongated::barrelatype firet arm which may be1pivotede toieitherssidexof the longitudinal icenterzlofxthe firearm.

An! object r-off this-invention is the :provision Of .-a slidably-mounted vzhandestop :for nan *elongated' tbarrel type firearm which may be slidably spo'sitioned laterally of I the longitudinal center cif "Zthe firearm.

These and I other objects and nadvantages will "become apparenflfrom the following description when' taken with the accompanyingdrawings. It will be understood, that the drawings areifor purposes ofillustrationyand are not tobe construed as "defining the scopeqor limits of the invention, reference ".being lhad .Ifor the: latter purposes to the appended claims.

nited States Patent 8-4: In :the drawings "wherein likereference characters denote like parts in'the :several views:

Figure-1. is a perspective view showing a firearm em- .bodying my novel hand-stop in use;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view of the fore-end of a firearm showing my adjustable handstop attachedthereto;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the hand-stop removed from the gfirearm;

Figure .4 is a fragmentary :bottom view of the foreend of the'firearmshowing the :marksmans hand grasping the forestock 'in abutting relation with the laterally .displaced hand-stop;

vFigure 5 is :a fragmentary :longitudinal sectional view of the fore-end of a firearm showing a modified form-of hand-stop embodying my invention; and

Figure :6-is a topplan .viewofthe hand-stop showniin Figure 5 and iremoved from :the firear-m.

Reference .isfirst made to Figure l .of the drawings, wherein the firearm shown comprises a barrel 10, having a'forestock 11 mounted on theunder side thereof. The forestock may be'integrally formed with the buttstock12.

vA sling+strap 13 of a type well known to those skilled in this art, is suitably-secured to the firearm andis provided with a looped-portion 14 which extends about the marksmans mm above the elbow. :In the normal shoeting position, the marksman flexes this arm thereby =ten sioning the sling-strap 113. This action, with a properly adjusted sling-strap, results in firmly abutting the marksvmanshand leagainst my novel'hand stop 17 mounted ou the bottom ofthe forestock-ll.

As mentioned :above, contemporary hand-stops are The hand- Reference is now made to Figure 20f the drawings,

wherein there 'is shown a longitudinal sectional view of the hand-stop -17 attached to the forestock 11. 45

' with the firearm for-clarity of illustration.) An anchor (In Figure 2, the hand stop is -shown in longitudinal alignment plate 18 is'shown embedded in theforestock ll-withthe lower surface thereof flush with the bottomsurface of "the forestock. The anchor plate 18 is secured to the forestock llby bolts '1? which extend through countersunk holes adjacent the forward andrear ends of the anchor-plate. Nuts 21 arethreaded to the'bolts 19, and

seat withinrecesses in the upper surface of the forestock 11.

Reference is now also made;to'Figure 3 of the drawings for a-description of my novel adjustable hand-stop.

'The hand-stop 17 includes a base-plate 23 which is securely attachedto the anchor plate-1'8 by means of an attaching bolt 2.4 which'thr'eade'dlyengages one of the holes 22.

The base-plate '23 is provided with a generally cylindricalshaped lug, or pin,' 2'6 integrally formed therewith and which'is-adapted to, engage a hole 22 in-the -anchor plate *rearwardly of the -hand-stop attaching screw 24. The

attaching screw 24, together with the pin 26, provide -means for securelyattaching-the base plate 23 to ;the

The'anchor -plate18is formedwithin a plurality. of threaded holes 22 evenly-spaced longitudinally thereof.

face of an arm member 28 adjacent the end thereof. The

attaching bolt 24 extends through holes in the arm member 28 and base-plate 23 which are centrally positioned of the cooperating teeth members 27, 27'. By loosening the attaching bolt 24 sufiiciently, the teeth members 27, 27'

may be disengaged, and the arm member 28 pivoted about the attaching bolt to any position desired.

A generally cylindrical-shaped hand-stop member 29 is secured to the arm member 28 at the end opposite the attaching screw 24 by means of a bolt 31 which engages i a threaded hole in the arm member. The bolt 31 extends, also, through a generally cylindrical-shaped loop base member 32 to which a sling-strap attaching loop 33 is pivotally secured; the forward end of' the sling-strap 13 being shown looped through the said loop member 33.

The cylindrically-shaped hand-stop member 29 is provided with a semi-cylindrical, axially-extending, flange 29 on the upper face thereof against which the marksmans hand abuts in use. It will be apparent, that by losening the attaching screw 24 a sufficient amount, the hand-stop member 29, which is secured to the arm member 28, may be rotated about the attaching screw 24 to any desired position, and relocked in place by retightening of the bolt 24, with the teeth members 27, 27' in cooperating relation. Thus, the hand-stop member 29 may be swung to either side of the vertical plane through the longitudinal center of the firearm.

Reference is now made to Figure 4 of the drawings,

wherein there is shown a fragmentary bottom view of the rifle forestock 11 with the marksmans hand 16 in abutting relation with my novel adjustable hand-stop device. As viewed in Figure 4, the hand-stop member 29 is pivoted counterclock-wise about the attaching bolt 24 from a central position along the longitudinal axis of the firearm, rearwardly of the attaching bolt. In the position shown, the hand-stop is adjustably-positioned for use by a right-handed marksman. With the hand grasping the forestock in a natural and comfortable manner, the forward pressure of the hand on the hand-stop member is located on the web of the hand between the thumb and forefinger. Unlike conventional, centrally-positioned handstop members, no direct pressure is made to bear on the bones and joints of the forefingers when the handstop member is properly positioned on the firearm. With one or two trials, the marksman may determine the correct position for maximum comfort. The marksmans hand may be maintained in line with his forearm for a comfortbale grip, thereby relieving any bending strain resulting from an unnatural grasp of the forestock required to place the web between the thumb and forefinger on the hand-stop of a conventional type, centrallypositioned, hand-stop. The hand-stop may be swung to either side of the vertical, longitudinal, center plane of the firearm, and adjustably positioned, for use by either right or left-handed marksmen.

Reference is now made to Figures 5 and 6 of the drawings, wherein a modified form of laterally adjustable handstop for a firearm is shown. The hand-stop device therein shown, designated generally by the reference numeral 36, is shown attached to an anchor-plate 18 of the type shown in Figures 2 and 4. The hand-stop device comprises a base-plate 37 which is attached to the anchorplate 18 by means of an attaching bolt 38 extending through a counter-sunk hole in the base-plate and threadedly engaging one of the holes 22. The integrally-formed pin 26 on the base-plate is adapted to engage an adjacent hole 22 in the anchor-plate. The lower face of the baseplate 37 is provided with a dove-tail tongue member 39 integrally formed therewith, as seen in Figure 5. The tongue member, as seen in Figure 6, is provided with a laterally extending portion 39'. A generally cylindricalshaped hand-stop member 41 is provided with a dove-tailshaped groove 42 in the upper face thereof within which the tongue member 39 slidably fits.

A kerf, or slot, 43 is formed across the hand-stop member 41 longitudinally of the groove 42 along the center thereof. A hole 44 is formed transversely of the slot 43, from the forward face of the hand-stop member 41, which hole extends past the slot. The portion of the hole to the rear of the slot 43 (to the right, as viewed in Figures 5 and 6) is threaded, and receives a locking bolt 46. The hand-stop member 41 is secured to the tongue member 39 on the base-plate 37 by tightening of the locking bolt 46. The loop base member 32, with the loop 33 pivotally attached thereto, isbolted to the bottom of the hand-stop member 41.

It will be apparent that the hand-stop member 41 of Figures 5 and 6 is adjustably positioned transversely of the longitudinal center of the rifle after first loosening the locking bolt 46. In the form of the hand-stop device shown in Figures 5 and 6, the extending portion 39' of the tongue member 39 extends to the right of the longitudinal center of the rifle, to a point adjacent one end of the dove-tail slot 42. Since the tongue member 39, with the extending portion 39 must not ordinarily extend beyond the edge of the hand-stop member 41, but instead, must remain within the dove-tail groove 42, the hand-stop member 41 is adapted to be adjustably positioned only to the right of the rifle longitudinal center. The handstop device of Figures 5 and 6 is, therefore, designed for use by a left-handed marksman, only. Obviously, if the hand-stop device was for use by right-handed marksmen, a base-plate 37, having a dove-tail tongue member 39 which extends to the left of the rifle longitudinal center could be used. As with the hand-stop device of Figures 1-4, the hand-stop of Figures 5 and 6 is adjustable by trial and error to provide a comfortable grip for the marksman.

It will be apparent that the extending portion 39 of the hand-stop device of Figures 5 and 6 could be completely deleted from the structure and, in this way, the hand-stop member 41 made adjustable to either side of the longitudinal center of the rifle. Further, it will be understood by those skilled in this art, that since the type of anchor plate 18 which is employed in rifles of different manufacturers varies in design, the base-plates 23 and 37 shown in the drawings, may be modified for suitably mounting the same on such modified anchor plates.

Having now described my invention in detail in accordance with the Patent Statutes, various other changes and modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in this art, and it is intended that such changes and modifications shall fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as recited in the following claims.

I claim:

1. An adjustable hand-stop for use on a fore-end of a firearm, said hand-stop comprising a base plate adapted to be supported on the fore-end, means forming a plurality of radially-extending teeth members on the lower surface of the said base plate, an arm member having a plurality of radially-extending teeth members formed thereon and adapted for cooperation with the said teeth members on the base member, means releasably securing the said arm member to the said base plate with the cooperating teeth members thereon in engaging relation, and a hand-stop member secured to the said arm member, the said hand-stop member being positionable transversely of the said fore-end.

2. An adjustable hand-stop for use on the forestock of a firearm, said hand-stop comprising a base plate adapted to be supported on said forestock, an arm member, complementary interengaging means on the lower surface of said base plate and on said arm member, allowing movement of said arm member relative to said base plate transversely of the forestock, means releasably securing the said arm'member to the said base plate with the interhand-stop member in transversely adjusted position with respect to said base plate.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,585,249 Johns May 18, 1926 2,112,577 Roberts Mar. 29, 1938 10 2,116,618 Crockett May 10, 1938 2,782,545 Schadeck Feb. 26, 1957 

